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Green lifestyles mean that we are becoming more aware of what constitutes waste and how to solve the problem. Americans throw away more trash than we may be aware of, as it is simply done by habit. The kids outgrow their size 10 shoes even though they still have lots of wear left. That pair of baseball pants that fit perfectly last season is way too short this time around. The quickest and easiest way to deal with our excess clutter is to simply toss in the trash pile. From there, a fleet of garbage trucks cruises the roads, picks up the trash, and hauls it off to a landfill.

In the meantime, we head straight to the store to buy new baseball shoes and a bigger pair of baseball pants. These are just two small examples, but consider that some children may be wearing shoes too small or too worn to be comfortable because their parents cannot afford new clothing. Those shoes and baseball pants that are too small for your children could make someone’s day. No matter what neighborhood you live in, there is most likely somebody in the near vicinity that is struggling to make ends meet.

What if you could share your used and outgrown items with your neighbors who need them? That’s certainly a better option than just tossing them in the trash, and many communities across the country have developed sharing programs, have funded thrift stores, and have started online giveaway sites. Clothing or sporting goods exchanges are also a great way to reduce and recycle. In this case, the sporting organization schedules a day when all parents bring their child’s outgrown or unused equipment to be given to another child or to be exchanged for a larger. One example of this concept is an ice skate exchange where expensive, outgrown skates are traded.

If your neighborhood doesn’t have a sharing program of any kind, it’s easy enough to start one. Put ads in the paper and online offering to give away items. Freecycle.com, one of Yahoo’s groups, is an excellent way to give away items. You’ll post your things in the daily postings, and when someone responds, you can set the item out for them to pick up. A great service, this online community is becoming quite large!

Start Your Own Free Store

Free stores are a growing trend and involve the collection, organization, and display of items in a store-like setting. Those items are then given away to those who need them.

Begin collecting and storing unused items.

Find a self-storage unit, unused municipal building, garage, church basement, or other location that is willing to help store your items until you find a suitable store to use. You’ll need to gather some inventory before you open your store.

Advertise everywhere. Most local radio, TV stations, and newspaper will give you free advertisement if your cause is good for the community and if it is clearly not for profit. Talk about what you need like items and a place in which to open your store. A landlord with an unrented storefront might be willing to allow it, and you can promise to give them public kudos in exchange.

Approach civic organizations, churches, and schools about your idea. Show them your plan and how it will help the community and the environment.

Find volunteers to mind the store, sort and gather donations, and help to advertise.

Set up free donation drop boxes throughout the community. People will get used to the idea that they can drop off unused, but still usable, items at these drop boxes. This is the source of inventory for the store.

Set a policy for your shoppers. The best policy may be that regardless of income, anyone can come to “shop” and take what they need. Others can bring in their nice items and do an exchange.

The idea of sharing the green is to develop a common mindset that we don’t necessarily need bigger, better, or newer things to get along in life. A used electric pencil sharpener and a second-hand working tape dispenser will do the trick for your occasional office needs. Encouraging this thought process is the goal. We have become a society of shoppers, so anything we can do to promote a less wasteful mindset will be of great help to the environment and to our fellow human beings.